Rock-and-Roll (räk'n roll') n. first so used (1951) by Alan Freed, Cleveland disc jockey, taken from the song "My Baby Rocks Me with a Steady Roll". The use of rock, roll, rock and roll, etc., with reference to sexual intercourse, is traditional in blues, a form of popular music that evolved in the 1950's from rhythm and blues, characterized by the use of electric guitars, a strong rhythm with an accent on the offbeat, and youth-oriented lyrics.

"Rock Around the Clock," recorded by Bill Haley and the Comets on April 12, 1954, changed the course of American music. It turned popular music on its ear, and opened a Pandora's box of uninhibited, raucous, joyous noise.